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HOUSE SPEAKER DESIGNATE JOHN BOEHNER PLEDGES
TO CUT CONGRESSIONAL BUDGETS BY FIVE PERCENT
AS A FIRST ASSAULT ON DEFICIT � �60 MINUTES� SUNDAY

Lesley Stahl Profiles the Man Who Will Become Leader of the House next Month

John Boehner pledges to begin his assault on the nation�s $13 trillion-plus deficit in his own house. The Ohio republican and house speaker designate tells Lesley Stahl that the first vote Congress will undertake once he�s elected speaker next month will be to cut Congressional budgets by five percent, a move he says is worth $25 to $30 million. The interview with Boehner, part of a 60 MINUTES profile of the man who will lead the U.S. House of Representatives beginning next month, will be broadcast Sunday, Dec. 12 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

In an interview in Washington yesterday afternoon (8), Boehner responds to Stahl�s question about where his first cuts to the budget will be. �Well, how about we start with cutting Congress? I�m going to cut my budget, my leadership budget five percent. I�m going to cut all the leadership budgets by five percent. I�m going to cut every committee�s budget by five percent,� says Boehner. �And every member is going to see a five percent reduction in their allowance. All together that�s $25-$30 million and it likely would be one of the first votes we cast.� Watch an excerpt.

When Stahl reminds him that the figure is small in the context of the massive deficit, Boehner replies, We�ve got to start somewhere and we�re going to start there. But you�ll see us move a spending cut bill-- every week-- over the first three months.�

Stahl went back to Boehner�s childhood town of Reading, Ohio, with the congressman, where they visited the church his family attended. They also visited with 10 of Boehner�s 11 siblings in the bar his father once owned and where the future House speaker did every job, from mopping the floor to pouring drinks.

Rep. Boehner, a famously emotional man, cried several times during interviews, on topics such as his family and his principles.